Welcome to Stars Hollow
by PKNight
Summary: Re-post. Half Mia's POV. What would you do if a 16-year-old walks in with her baby and demands a job?


**Welcome to Stars Hollow**

**A/N** as of 3/05: I was watching the Ins and Outs of Inns on ABC Family Channel, and I remembered why I loved Mia and was driven to write this fic. So…I went through and edited it. It's still mostly the same, but, re-posting it and editing it.

It's not exact to the timeline of the show, as this was written long before we got even the vague back story from (I think) Dear Richard and Emily... . Ths was originally written during Season 2.

Mia watched the girl approach the desk. "Can I help you?" Mia asked politely.

The girl struck a pose, hip out cockily, the baby held securely in a pouch. She laid a hand across the baby's back and said, "Yes, you can. I need a job. Any job; I'll take anything you have available."

"Isn't baby sitting paying enough?" Mia asked, curious, studying the girl. She was tall and lovely, with dark curly hair. Though she wore the typical teenager clothing—jeans and somewhat ratty T-shirt with some rock band name on it—she had a sort of inborn…breeding, something that spoke of the high class that frequented the inn.

The girl frowned. "I'm not baby sitting. And I need a job."

Mia sighed. "Look—"

"No, you look." If Mia hadn't been as adept as she was at reading people and their voices, she would have missed the fear buried under the bravado. "I can and will do whatever you ask me. I am smart, I learn fast, and can work hard." The baby whimpered a bit, and she stroked its back softly, soothingly, and ran a hand over the head. Her eyes met Mia's. "Please," she said quietly.

Mia looked again at the baby. "This is your child, isn't it?" The girl didn't look away when Mia's gaze me hers. A lot of the teen mothers Mia had seen looked ashamed, embarrassed, or afraid when confronted about their children. This one looked accepting, as happy as could be expected, and almost…daring Mia to disapprove. "How old are you?"

"I'm sventeen years old."

Mia's heart went out to the girl. She didn't ask where the girl's parents were, why they weren't taking care of her. Or the father of the baby, for that matter. Mia looked at her for a long moment. _If this was my daughter, what would I do? I would want someone to take care of her, make sure she and her baby were all right._ She decided she would be that person for a scared mother somewhere. "I see," she said. "Well, what are your names?"

"Lorelai Gilmore. And this is Lorelai Leigh Gilmore. I've already begun calling her Rory." The girl—Lorelai the Elder—turned towards Mia until she got a glimpse of a pink-cheeked, round-faced baby with the exact same shade of blue eyes as her mother.

"How old is she?"

"Three months," Lorelai said.

Mia looked down at the guest register and said, "I've got a maid position open. Can you start tomorrow?" She glanced up in time to see the wide blue eyes fill with grateful tears. Lorelai dashed them away quickly and smiled brilliantly at Mia.

"You won't be sorry," she said with confidence. She bent and placed a kiss on top of the baby's—Rory's—head. Then she turned towards the door. "I'll see you first thing tomorrow morning."

"Where are you staying?" The girl froze, and slowly turned to face Mia.

"Why?"

"I need to know how to contact you."

"Oh," Lorelai chewed her lip and evaded Mia's eyes for the first time.

Mia realized this girl had pride, in quite a healthy dose, and was also stubborn. She hadn't thought of where she was going to stay, though, and Mia would bet she didn't have a car. "I've got a few rooms open. You're welcome to use one until you get settled in and find a place of your own."

"I don't think I—"

"Of course, that will be the first room you clean tomorrow morning."

Lorelai wavered for a long time, visibly fighting her pride. Then she looked down at her daughter, and her face softened. "We'll take it."

Mia nodded. "Come on, I'll show you to your room."

Mia called a woman to take over the desk. As she rounded the counter, Lorelai laid a hand on her arm. "Thanks," she said quietly to the older woman. Mia smiled and patted the hand resting on her arm.

Lorelai sat on the bed, looking at her hands. They were shaking. She'd been so impulsive. She had Rory to think of; she needed to grow up, think things through. She couldn't fly by the seat of her pants any more.

Looking over at Rory, asleep on the bed, Lorelai realized she'd almost failed her offspring in the most basic of ways: she'd almost had no shelter for her. No place to sleep. Needing the comfort of her scent, Lorelai reached over and pulled Rory into her lap. She gazed down at her daughter—_her_ daughter!—and made a promise to them both: she would never fail her. She would always let her daughter be herself, and would always be there for her. "We'll be best friends, you and I, baby girl. Best friends. Forever."

There was a knock on her door, and Lorelai moved to open it, expecting Mia to tell her that the room was needed and to pack up. She opened it and smiled tiredly at the woman on the other side. "Can I help you?"

The woman looking back at her frowned slightly, making her already pinched looking face even more narrow. "You're the new maid?"

And wouldn't Emily have a cow to hear that sentence? Lorelai thought dryly. "That's me," she answered.

"Mia told me to come back here and introduce myself to you. My name is Justine. I'm supposed to train you." She didn't offer her hand, and neither did Lorelai. Justine looked down at Rory and frowned. "Who is that?"

"This is my daughter."

The woman looked disgusted. "I'll be here tomorrow at six. Be ready to get to work." She spun on her heel and walked away.

"I don't think she approves," Lorelai said to Rory, shutting the door with her foot. Her daughter blinked sleepily up at her. "I know," Lorelai continued. "But at least I'll feel right at home. That woman and your grandma would get along just fine." Feeling inexplicably cheerful suddenly, Lorelai sat with Rory on the edge of the bed, and rocked her gently. "We're gonna be all right. I promise."

Lorelai groaned when the alarm went off at five, but quickly slapped it off, lest Rory wake up. She sat up on the bed and turned on the bedside lamp, wincing away from even the soft light. She stifled another groan and checked on Rory, who had slept beside her.

Lorelai had read a lot of books about pregnancy, since she sure as hell couldn't talk to her mother about it. During her research she'd read a lot about SIDS, and woke up every morning Rory slept through the night in near-panic, afraid death had claimed her baby.

But as always, Rory blinked her eyes open and gazed at her mother as soon as she was picked up. Lorelai fed Rory, and put her in her car seat and set it on the bathroom counter so she could take a quick shower. Then she gave Rory a bath in the lovely antique-looking sink, drying her with the. The supplies she'd brought when she left her home had been new, so there wasn't any hurry to get them renewed.

When she and Rory stepped out of the bathroom, they were refreshed and ready to work, both pink-cheeked and bright-eyed. They surveyed the room with their faces right next to each other, and Lorelai pronounced, "Time to clean, baby."

Lorelai fit Rory into her pouch—she'd discovered an aptitude for sewing while waiting for her due date and had modified a design she found in a book at the library—and began on the room. She copied the movements she'd seen one of her own short-term house help do. She tugged the sheets straight until there wasn't a wrinkle in sight. She polished the bathroom area until it gleamed, and re-folded the towels she'd used, though she figured they would be replaced.

Promptly at six, a knock sounded on her door. She dropped the bag she'd just re-packed next to the door and prepared to face the sour Justine. "You ready?" she asked.

Mia stood outside her door. She tilted her head inquiringly at Lorelai. "Obviously not as ready as you."

"I thought that angry woman was going to help me," Lorelai said, looking up and down the hallway.

Mia looked away. "She decided to go on vacation. So I decided I would show you the ropes."

Lorelai shrugged. "Works for us. I thought you worked the desk?"

"Actually, I own the Independence Inn. But, even I made my start cleaning rooms, you know."

Lorelai's eyebrows raised. "I wondered how you got me a job. Hey, speaking of which, come and tell me what I did wrong in here?" She stepped back, gesturing Mia into the room. She'd meant it as a joke, but as Mia outlined the process of cleaning the rooms—from bathroom to the front door—she realized she should have said it seriously. "Wow," she said after Mia was done. "Gosh, you really don't pull any punches, do you?"

Mia laughed. "Actually, compared to some of our other girls, you did very well for your first time."

"Um, thanks. So, let me see if I've got this straight." She repeated all the steps Mia had outlined, almost verbatim. Mia looked extremely impressed.

She nodded in satisfaction. "I knew I made a good choice when I hired you." Lorelai smiled. "Now, let me show you the rooms you'll be working."

Three weeks later, Lorelai had settled into a routine. She woke up in the mornings, bathed both of them and fed Rory, cleaned the room she'd used, and went to work with Rory settled in her pouch. On her break, she got herself something to eat from the kitchen.

One night, she went up to Mia at the desk after her shift and asked, "So, which room is it tonight?"

Mia bit her lip and looked at the register. "Actually, we seem to be booked solid."

"Ah," Lorelai replied. "That explains the work today," she added, trying to joke around the panic she felt building.

"I do have someplace you can stay, though," Mia said. "I remembered that we've got this potting-shed type building out back that used to be an apartment when this was a house. I think the help stayed there. But it's got plumbing, heating, electricity. All the comforts."

Lorelai jumped at it. If she'd been back in Hartford, she could have called any number of people to crash with for a night. But her only friend here was Mia, and Lorelai didn't know her well enough to ask. She hadn't had any opportunity to explore the town and hadn't met anyone, much less checked out apartments.

She took the bag of her and Rory's stuff that she stashed in a supply closet while working and hefted the car seat. Mia showed her to the shed, and told her she'd have a bellboy bring out a rollaway.

After Mia said goodnight, Lorelai looked around the place. She could see the potential. She could hang a curtain around the bathroom for privacy, and put up the shutters leaning against walls over the windows. She saw the perfect place for a bed, huddled in a corner, but with a view of the window. Maybe she could even buy some furniture. A bed, a desk, maybe, or a real crib for Rory. There was already a cabinet-type thing she could use for a dresser, with the amount of clothes she had.

But it would be a while yet before she could do that, so she set those thoughts aside.

She waited until the rollaway came and thanked the bellboy—but couldn't tip him—and set the clock blinking on the windowsill. She fed Rory—who had been an angel today even by her standards—and then turned out her light.

The next day, Mia greeted Lorelai at the door. "Have I got something for you," she said, and couldn't stifle a large smile.

"Ooh, I love surprises! Except when the stick turned pink."

Mia nodded acknowledgement of that and thrust an envelope into Lorelai's hands. "My parents couldn't have found me," Lorelai muttered to herself. This was the first time Mia had heard Lorelai mention her family. She watched the girl's face light up when she beheld her first paycheck.

She jumped and danced around a bit. "Wow!" she said and flopped down onto the rollaway. "Wow. Five hundred dollars!"

"More or less, with taxes left out. Have you thought about opening a saving's account?"

Lorelai stopped bouncing on the bed. "Not until now." She dropped the check on her pillow and went to get Rory from the car seat where she'd been put when Mia had knocked. She stopped and looked out the window with Rory cradled in her arms. "Wow," she said again, softer this time. "I didn't know there was a lake out there. Look at that sunrise."

Mia watched Lorelai's face while she gazed at the emerging colors, and saw a different beginning. "So," Mia said, and took Lorelai's place on the roll away. "You've got the day off. What are you going to do with it?"

"I do?" Lorelai looked away from the sunrise to look at her. "You're kidding?"

"Didn't you check the schedule? You're certainly due for one, you've worked the last three weeks without a day off. And full time. Not a lot of people do that, especially not when they're just starting. You do know that because of that, the next paychecks won't be so big?"

"Yeah, I know," Lorelai said. "But, wow, I've never gotten a pay check before. Just allowance, and that's not nearly the same thing."

"No, it's not. So, what are you going to do with your day?"

"I don't know. I assumed I was working. Hey, I can go shopping! Get Rory and me some clothes!"

Mia pursed her lips. "Might I make a suggestion?" Lorelai tilted her head towards the older woman. "Why don't you go to the bank and set up a checking account?"

"I guess I should, shouldn't I? Will they give me one? I am still a minor."

"I'm sure they will. Have you ever had one before?"

Lorelai sat beside Mia, and then looked back out the window. "No. I've always relied on my parents to provide me with money. God knows they have plenty to spare. But I don't know anything about managing it. I'm really good at spending it, though." She shifted, and lay Rory down on the bed.

"Lorelai," Mia sighed. "I know I haven't asked you, because I hoped that you would open up to me. But I'd like to know how you came to be here, as you are. Where are your parents? Where's Rory's father? Why did you chose Stars Hollow?"

Lorelai sighed. "I knew you were going to ask me this sooner or later. I'd hoped it would be later. I'm afraid I don't come off very well in the story."

"Dear, I've watched you these last few weeks, and I can tell some things about you."

"Like what?"

"I can tell that I like you, as a person, and that you are a good mother. And that your parents were rich, and you grew up privileged."

Lorelai frowned. "What makes you say that?"

"That first morning? You waved me into your room as if I was dressed in a ball gown greeting you at the front door for a swanky party. You're very refined, and that's not something you can teach." Lorelai looked uncomfortable with that. "Why don't you tell me where you come from?"

"I really wish you hadn't asked. But you did, so I'll tell you." She took a deep breath, and then let it out slowly. "You're right. My parents are rich, and I never really wanted for anything material when I was growing up. What I wanted was understanding, and I still haven't gotten that. My parents only had me. My dad works in insurance, my mom does charity functions all day long. I wasn't raised completely by nannies, as a lot of my friends were, but they had the majority of hands in my upbringing. I went to private schools, and rebelled. I wanted to go to the Hartford public high school, but my parents would have none of that. So, I went to private school for high school. Chilton was the worst school around, and they would have put me in there if I hadn't burned the acceptance letters. So I got sent to the second-worst place, St. Christopher's Academy. And my boyfriend's name was Christopher. I thought it was funny. We were always sneaking out of class and making out on school grounds.

"I got pregnant. I told Christopher before I told my parents. The next day at school, he proposed. I didn't answer him, 'cause the bell rang and I was late to chemistry." Lorelai smiled a bit at that. "At least that was funny. When my parents found out I was pregnant, they demanded to know who the father was, since they were sure that Christopher, their precious Christopher wouldn't do such a thing to me. That hurt me, them acting like I would do something like that, sleep with so many boys they didn't know who I was with." Lorelai snorted. "Dad threatened violence on Chris, until I told them he'd proposed. I don't know why I did, since I'd turned him down. Neither of us were ready to be married, and I don't know if I loved Chris enough to marry him. They pulled me out of school, got me tutors. I drove the tutors away with my constant cravings, and complaining about not getting coffee."

"Yes, I noticed you've usually got a cup with you someplace," Mia observed.

"The cravings for it got especially bad when I was seven months along. But I didn't give in. Rory was born on October ninth. I honestly don't know how some people can call giving birth a meaningful experience, except the end where you get to hold your child. The rest of it was pure hell." But Lorelai's face was soft as she looked down at Rory, lulled by her mother's voice into slumber. "I was a little weird on painkillers, and pain, and started ranting about men naming their sons after themselves all the time, so why couldn't women? So I named her Lorelai. Leigh was one of my nannies when I was younger. I always attribute the smell of lilacs to her, because that's the perfume she wore. So, I used her name as Rory's middle name. Christopher was in the waiting room, and I could tell he was going to propose again, so I pretended to be asleep while he held Rory. After, I went home with my parents. They'd already selected everything for me: the paint in the nursery, the crib, the clothes, the diapers, everything. They'd even hired a nanny for her already. I couldn't stand it. As soon as I was feeling good enough, I left. I packed a bag of the least amount of clothes I could stand, her car seat, basic supplies, and went out the window. I'd always snuck out by my balcony, so it wasn't too much trouble to do that with Rory in her pouch. I left a note on my bed, telling them I was going to stand on my own two feet, and that I'd call them as soon as I had accomplished that.

"I took as much money as I had in my wallet. It wasn't much, but it got me on the bus from Hartford to here, with enough to spare that I could buy food. Your place looked so idyllic, so perfect. So I came in and demanded a job. The rest you know."

Mia waited until Lorelai began to squirm before looking away from her. "What makes you think you don't come off very well in that story? I think you're very brave. Many people your age would have given the baby up for adoption, or simply fallen into line with their parents. You had the guts to do what you felt you had to do for your sake and Rory's."

"You don't think that I should have married Christopher?"

Mia shook her head. "Many, many teen marriages end in failure. I think you did the right thing."

"Really?" Lorelai asked.

"Do you think you would have been happy?"

She thought for a few moments, then shook her head. "No. Well, maybe if we both got incredibly lucky we could have been happy."

"Do you think you'd be happy if you'd stayed with your parents?" This time there was no pause for thinking. She just shook her head vehemently. "Well then, if there's no option that would make you happier than you are now, I think you made the right choice. May I hold her?" she added, gesturing to Rory, who was blinking eyes at them.

"Oh, of course," Lorelai said. "Have you ever held Rory before?"

"No, you've always got her in that sling thing of yours. Where did you get that? I've never seen another like it." She gently picked Rory up and rocked her back and forth. Rory's arms reached out and waved around in the air, making Mia smile.

"I made it myself," Lorelai said.

"Really?" Mia looked up at her. "You have an enormous talent."

"Thanks. I discovered I liked sewing while I was pregnant. I made a few clothes for Rory, too, the ones that I brought with us."

The two sat in comfortable silence, watching Rory enjoy being held and rocked. "So, why don't I give you a tour of Stars Hollow?" Mia offered. "You probably haven't had much time to see any of it."

Lorelai smiled. "I'd love that."

An hour later, the three of them sat in the gazebo at the center of town. "Wow," Lorelai said. "So, there's really not all that much to show and tell around Stars Hollow, is there?"

"I'm afraid there isn't," Mia said. "There's the Salvation Army, where you can get you and Rory some furniture and clothes."

"I've…never shopped at a used clothes place before," Lorelai said.

"It's not really all that different from shopping everywhere else," Mia said. "I do it myself, for fun. You find very one-of-a-kind outfits at places like that."

"I can make one-of-a-kind outfits," Lorelai said with confidence. "It's the furniture I'll have trouble with. So, let's talk living spaces." She made a wide arc with her hand. "Where can I find someplace that I can afford where Rory and I can live? It has to be close to the Inn, since I definitely don't have money for a taxi or a car."

"There's no taxis in Stars Hollow," Mia said, laughing. "So, what's wrong with where you are?"

"You mean the shed?" Lorelai considered. "I don't know. I thought it was a temporary thing."

"You could pay rent, if it would make you feel better. It's very close to the Inn. And you could fix the place up. With your skills I think it might be very interesting to see what you do with the place."

"How much rent?"

"How about fifty dollars a month?"

"That would be perfect."

"Great, I'll start running the tab. Do you want to go to the bank?"

"Oh, sure," Lorelai said. She made sure the check was still in the pocket between her and Rory before following Mia to the bank.

Mia greeted the cashier by name. "I have a young lady here who needs to start a checking account." They were led back to an office and offered a seat. The woman gazed in open curiosity at Rory and herself, but Mia sensed no hostility. Most people in this town weren't like Justine, who had issued the ultimatum that it was either her or Lorelai. (Since Justine had been irritating everyone at the Inn for so long, Mia thought it was no contest.) Most people in the town would probably embrace the pair with open arms.

The banker came in, and within an hour, Mia had taught Lorelai how to balance her checkbook, write checks, and keep track of withdrawals and deposits. Lorelai had declared herself an independent minor when Rory was born, so she was able to get a checking account without the need for a parental signature. She also had a check for the first month's rent in her purse. Lorelai stood and shook hands with the banker when they were finished. "What's your daughter's name?" he asked, looking down at Rory's head.

"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore," Lorelai answered. "I just call her Rory."

"She's a delightful child. Most women who come in here with their children end up having to bribe them with candy to get them to settle down long enough to handle transactions. Even my own children are a little hard to manage for such a long time." The man smiled down at the pictures of three children on his desk.

"Thank you," Lorelai said. "I think she's just quiet. I definitely got lucky with this one."

They left the bank. "Wow," Lorelai said. "I've never seen someone react—well, except you—react so well to my having a baby at my age."

"This is a very friendly town," Mia said. "Justine is not a common type around here. More often than not, people will accept you for who you are. Rory, too."

"This is wonderful," Lorelai said. "I think I just fell in love with this town."

"It's not difficult to do," Mia agreed. "Come on, I'll show you the Salvation Army, and we can look for things."

"Okay," Lorelai said. "But I'm limiting myself to spending a maximum of one hundred dollars."

"I think it's wise to set goals for oneself," Mia said.

They spent the next two hours browsing through the used clothes and furniture. Lorelai found all kinds of cool clothes for her and for Rory, or clothes that she could manipulate into cool clothes. She got three new shirts for herself, two pairs of jeans, and four jumpers for Rory. "How can nine articles of clothing only be fifty dollars?" Lorelai yelped at the cash register.

The cashier chuckled. "It's a bit of a shock, isn't it, honey?" she said in a two-packs-a-day voice.

"Oh, furniture," Mia gasped, grabbing Lorelai's arm.

"Oops, forgot," she said sheepishly. "Do you think you could hold this while we go look in the furniture section?"

"No problem, honey," the cashier said. "We don't have much, but what's there is quality stuff."

Mia dragged Lorelai back to the furthest part of the store. She shook a few chairs, watched them wobble. "We don't need chairs, Mia," Lorelai said, and went to inspect the bed frames. There was a queen there with a nice, sturdy frame. "This is freakish," Lorelai said. "This can't be only forty dollars. It just can't." She bent over to inspect it. "What do you think, baby girl?" Rory cooed. "I think so, too. But how will we get it back? And what about a mattress?"

"Actually," Mia said, coming up behind them. "I've got a mattress that would fit this frame just perfectly."

"Oh, Mia, I can't take—"

"You'd be doing me a favor," Mia said, holding up a hand. "It's in the guest room of my apartment, and it will give me the excuse I need to put mine in there and get one of those pillow-topped mattresses."

"If you're sure," Lorelai said.

"I'm positive," Mia insisted.

"How will we get this back to the Inn?" Lorelai turned and looked at the bed frame again. "I certainly can't carry it. Or put it together, or take it apart."

"That doesn't matter," Mia said, waving her hands in dismissal. "I'll just put in a call to William Danes, and he'll come and deliver it for you, no charge. He runs the hardware store."

"I can't just ask you or him to do that," Lorelai insisted.

"Yes, you can, dear," Mia said. "We're at heart and in actions one big neighborhood. We do favors for each other, and ask nothing in return."

"Okay," Lorelai sighed, browbeaten into submission. "I'll take it."

"You're going to need sheets," Mia said.

"I know," Lorelai sighed. "There goes my vow not to spend more than a hundred dollars." And she and Mia went to inspect the linens section.

By seven o'clock that night, Lorelai had put all her clothes into the thing with glass doors on top and cabinets on the bottom. Mia had called and asked that William Danes come over and help with putting together a bed, and then left to help him get her mattress.

There was a knock on the door, and Lorelai jumped up. Two men came into the room, one older, the other about Lorelai's own age, but the younger one was taller. "Lorelai," Mia said, coming in behind them. "This is William and Lucas Danes. William owns the hardware store, and Lucas works there after school." They both nodded at her. The older one—William—smiled at her gently. "So, where do you want the bed?"

Lorelai pointed. "It would be great if it would fit in that corner. But I didn't do any measuring, so I'm not sure. It might just have to stick out into the room." She laughed nervously as William took out a measuring tape, and went over to the wall.

"So, Lucas," Mia said. "How's school?"

William spoke up before the guy could. "Mia, you know he likes to be called Luke."

"I'll call him Lucas," Mia said. "If he tells me himself that he minds, I'll stop." She turned to Luke expectantly.

"I don't mind," he said quietly. "And it's going fine. For school."

"Oh, come on, boy," William said heartily. "Show some enthusiasm."

Luke shifted his weight. "Dad, I'm not big on school. I'm just going to take over the business anyway."

"And you've already improved it so much!" The tape measure snapped into place. "You've got a good eye, young lady," he said to Lorelai. "That bed is a perfect fit for this spot right here." He smiled at Lorelai, and at Rory. "We'll just go get that put in for you."

"Thanks," Lorelai said. She and Mia watched as in the next fifteen minutes the two men worked efficiently, getting the bed put into place and the mattress set up. "Wow," she said, sitting on the bed, testing it. "You guys are really good at this."

"That's why I own the hardware store," William said. "You don't happen to want those shutters up, would you?" he asked, pointing at a stack of them leaning against the wall.

"Oh," Lorelai said, surprised. "Yeah. But I can get those myself sometime—"

"Nonsense." And pretty soon, William and Luke had gotten all the shutters into place. "This'll be a nice, cozy place for you and that baby of yours," William said, gathering up his tools. "Good starting place for you. Stars Hollow, too. Anytime you need something, just give a yell and I'll see what I can do for you."

"Oh," Mia said. "I've got something for you to give to Rachel." She handed something to Luke. "Tell her I thought her photos were amazing, and that she's got a real talent."

"Oh," Luke said, looking baffled. "Okay. I'll pass it along." He said good bye to Mia, and mumbled something in Lorelai's direction. William shook Lorelai's hand.

Mia and Lorelai were left in the room. "Well," Mia said. "I guess I should go."

"Mia," Lorelai said, and stopped. She took Rory out of the pouch, and set her down on the bed. Then she stepped over, and awkwardly hugged Mia. "I just want to thank you. For everything you've done for us. Really. If my life works here, it will be because of you."

Mia hugged her back. "That's so sweet of you to say, dear," she said. "But I think life would have worked out for you no matter what. You're strong. Stronger than many people would be in your situation." She pulled back, and saw the sheen of tears in Lorelai's eyes. "Well, I guess I'll see you sometime tomorrow. Have a good night's rest, dear."

Lorelai bid her goodbye, and then went and sat with Rory. "I guess I'm doing okay, baby girl," Lorelai said, fighting tears. "I had my doubts. I really did. But we're really going to start our lives now." Shaking her head, Lorelai quickly made up the bed as she'd gotten so adept at doing in the past three weeks. Then she slipped under the covers with Rory, and felt completely content since the day the stick had turned pink.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first posting of this story. I love them so much that I copied and saved them before I deleted the old post.


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